Plumber&#39;s tool

ABSTRACT

A plumber&#39;s tool having a hand operated bulb at one end and an inflatable distal end with and intermediate smaller diameter hose portion for easy insertion into a water pipe or the like for repair thereof and the method of using same.

This is a Continuation-in-Part application of Ser. No. 10/322,395 filed Dec. 17, 2002 and entitled PLUMBER'S TOOL.

COPYRIGHT AUTHORIZATION

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a plumber's tool of the type that may be inserted into a pipe or conduit through a T-connection or valve in order to seal the same so that a break in the conduit or pipe can be satisfactorily repaired.

2. Background of the Invention

It becomes important in the everyday life of a plumber to be able to solder, weld or otherwise repair a conduit or pipe which has a break and wherein fluid usually under a little pressure needs to be maintained away from the break so that adequate repairs may be made.

In many instances of repair work it is necessary to wait an extended period of time, for example, where a break in a conduit or pipe is found at the lower elevation of the plumbing system, for water to drain in order to fix the break which wastes the time of the plumber and greatly increases the cost of the plumbing repairs. In the past, a plumber having once ascertained where the break in the conduit or pipe was located, would shut off the water supply and have to wait until the water drained from the system in order to be able to commence the repair work which is very inefficient use of his time.

In the past various expedients have been suggested as, for example, inflatable elements of one type or another being inflatable by a fluid such as water, or comprised rather elaborate and sophisticated devices which have been either expensive to manufacture or complex to maintain and operate.

While various apparatuses have been suggested of an inflatable type none have been able to overcome the desiratum of a low cost, easily maintained device that is light weight in character and relatively inexpensive to employ in the repair of a fluid conduit or plumbing pipe.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a plumber's tool which is relatively easy to manufacture and is of low cost and wherein in order to prevent the backflow of fluid in a conduit or pipe allows for the insertion of the tool, the expansion of the distal end so as to seal off a backflow of fluid to allow repair of the broken conduit or pipe.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tool which is easily operated and has a hand pump or other source of gas pressure in order to inflate a distal end of the tool to seal off a conduit or a pipe to allow repairs to be made.

It is still another specific object of the invention to provide a tool that is useful in repairing conduits or pipes which is easily inserted through a valve or other opening so as to be easily maniputable in the uninflated stated and yet upon inflation is easily an effectively used to block the flow of fluids so that repairs of the pipe or conduit may be achieved.

It is another even more specific object of the invention to provide a plumber's tool and method of using the same for effectuating a repair site that permits ease of pipe or conduit repair as by soldering, welding or the like.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the tool of the invention having a hand-manipulated bulb at one end with a one-way valve.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the tool of the invention being inserted through a T-connector into a conduit or pipe having a break which is to be repaired.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the tool of the invention in the fluid blocking state;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of how the tool of the invention may be connected to a can of air or gas for inflation purposes;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the steps in an exemplary method of effectuating repair in a water pipe or the like;

FIG. 6 is a fragmented view of an alternate embodiment of the invention with the distal end being slightly larger than the extending tube portion and;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate like elements throughout it will be seen that the tool 2 of the invention comprises an elongate flexible portion 4 and an inflatable distal or bulbous end 6 with the opposed end 8 being adapted for connection to a hand bulb or pump 10 through a one-way air releasable valve connector 12 which allows for passage of air, for example, from the bulb 10 through the interior of elongate portion 4 and into the inflatable section 6. The device 2 is made of unitary construction in this particular instance of commercial grade silicone rubber of high heat resistant character. The wall thickness of the inflatable, distal, or bulbous end 6 is much less than that of elongated flexible portion 4.

In operation and referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 the conduit or pipe 20 has a break 22 which needs to be repaired and wherein back water or fluid designated by the arrows 24 is flowing through the conduit and obviously through the break 22 thereby making repairs impossible. However, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the device 2, and more specifically the distal end 6, is threaded through T-connector 23 and placed in position adjacent the break 22 and through hand pumping is inflated and thereby blocks the flow of water or other fluid in the area adjacent the break 22 so that welding, soldering or the like may take place.

In lieu of using the hand pump 10 a can of pressurized gas such as 30 may be utilized as shown in FIG. 4 and wherein the device 32 illustrates another embodiment where the distal end 34 is of a different shape to be used for various purposes than the distal end 6 as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 5, it will be seen the steps to be taken with respect to the utilization of the devices of the invention in order to have an effective plumber's tool that aids in repair of breaks in water pipes or conduits.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 an alternative embodiment of the plumber's tool is illustrated wherein the distal end 40 is of a greater length than the inflatable distal end 6 heretofore described and is adhered to the extending end 42 by reason of rubber cement or the like 44. The rather long extension or length of the distal end 40 in this embodiment takes into account the different size conduit or pipe to be repaired plus the length of the crack or fissure which needs repairing.

Obviously, the devices of the invention may comprise various shapes and sizes it only being important that the materials of construction and configuration be such that the tool may be inserted, for example, through a T-connector, a valve, an open port or other accessible valve entryway of the pipe or conduit so that the inflatable end may be positioned adjacent the break in the pipe or conduit. Further those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the elongate portion of the device may be of various lengths as well as the distal end which may be of different configuration, it only being important that the device be unitary in nature so as to prevent a tool from disassociating one part from the other to thereby lead to ineffectiveness of the device.

A device as illustrated in the drawings has been built and has been found to be satisfactory wherein the length of the flexible elongate portion 4 is approximately 24 inches having an outside diameter of 0.380 inch and an internal diameter of about {fraction (1/8)} inch. The distal, inflatable end is about 2 inches in length and having an outside diameter of about 0.6 inch, a wall thickness of about 0.055 inch, an outside diameter of about {fraction (1/2)} inch and an internal diameter of about 0.380 inch. The material of construction of the device is of commercial grade silicone rubber having a temperature resistant rating of approximately 350°-400° Fahrenheit. Suitable rubber cement or adhesive is utilized to connect the components of the device.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will of course recognize that other materials of construction may be utilized as well as different thicknesses and different materials just so long as the device is fabricated of a material that is heat resistant where welding or soldering takes place and is of sufficient resiliency or flexibility to allow for ease of manipulation within and through a conduit or pipe so that the same may be disposed adjacent the break in the pipe or conduit to be repaired and that the distal or inflatable end is easily inflated to accomplish the end result.

Ideally, the device that has been constructed and utilized employs a hand bulb made of rubber such as 10 of the conventional type usually found in the market place and employs a connector having a one-way valve so to permit air to flow only one way toward the distal end but which permits release of air by a pet cock or valve also of conventional design to deflate the distal end as those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize.

While the present invention has been described with regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of the present invention may be devised without departing from the inventive concept. 

1. A plumber's tool for blocking flow of liquid in a conduit having a break therein comprising the combination of an elongate hose configured member having a continuous unitary structure including a first end adapted to be connected to a source of gas outside said conduit, a second end configured to fit within said conduit, and an elongate flexible portion extending integrally therebetween; said second end being inflatable from an uninflated state to an inflated state, said second end being adapted to maintain said uninflated state during manipulation and positioning within said conduit, said second end in both said uninflated and inflated state thereof forming a bulbous termination for said elongate flexible portion, said second end adapted in said inflated state to fill said conduit and for sealing said conduit at an area adjacent said break.
 2. The tool in accordance with claim 1 including a hand-operated bulb connector pump for inflating said second end with ambient air.
 3. The tool in accordance with claim 2 including a one-way air-releasable valve in operable association with said hand operated bulb connector.
 4. The tool in accordance with claim 1 wherein said source of gas is a can of pressurized air.
 5. The tool in accordance with claim 3 wherein said tool is fabricated of high temperature resistant rubber.
 6. The tool in accordance with claim 5 wherein said high temperature resistant rubber is of commercial grade silicone rubber and has a temperature rating of about 350°-450° Fahrenheit and has a wall thickness of about 0.055-0.060 inch at said other end and is easily inflatable by hand.
 7. The method of effectuating repair in a water pipe or the like comprising the steps of: a. locating the rupture in the pipe or conduit; b. shutting off flow of water in said pipe or conduit so that flow of water is not under usual water pressure in said conduit; c. providing an elongate tube having a continuous unitary structure including an outer end, an inflatable end and an elongate flexible portion extending integrally therebetween; said inflatable end being inflatable from an uninflated state to an inflated state, said inflatable end being adapted to maintain said uninflated state during manipulation and positioning within the pipe or conduit, said inflatable end in both said uninflated and inflated states thereof forming a bulbous termination for said elongate portion; d. inserting said elongate tube having said inflatable end in said uninflated state through an access way into said conduit or pipe to position the inflatable end thereof in the proximity of said break; e. inflating the inflatable end of said tool to stop the flow of residual fluid in said conduit or pipe; and e. effectuating a repair of said pipe or conduit at said break.
 8. A plumber's tool for blocking flow of liquid in a conduit having a break therein comprising the combination of an elongate hose configured member having a continuous unitary structure including a first end, a second end, and an elongate flexible portion extending integrally therebetween; said second end being inflatable from an uninflated state to an inflated state, said second end being adapted to maintain said uninflated state during manipulation and positioning within said conduit, said second end in both said uninflated and inflated states thereof forming a bulbous termination for said elongate portion; said elongate hose configured member being about 24 inches in length said second end being expandable relative to said elongate portion, said first end being connected to a source of gas outside said conduit, and said second end being configured to fit within said conduit and adapted to be inflated to fill said conduit for sealing said conduit at an area adjacent said break; wherein a hand operated bulb air pump member is connected to the first end of said elongate hose configured member, and a one-way air-releasable valve is disposed in operable association with said hand operated bulb air pump member, the wall thickness of said second end being much smaller than the wall thickening of said elongate flexible portion. 